Iraq elections security measures

US and Iraqi National Guard forces have beefed up stringent security measures before elections on Sunday 30 January.

Iraq tightens security across the country as elections approach

Baghdad airport

Baghdad International Airport will be closed on 29 and 30 January as a security measure to help safeguard the country’s elections.

 

Borders

Iraq‘s borders with its six neighbours will be shut from 29 until 31 January, and all traffic will be barred except for Muslim pilgrims returning from the Hajj.

 

Car ban

A 7pm to 6am ban on driving cars will be enforced until 31 January.

 

Curfew

There is a dusk-to-dawn curfew in most of the country during the election period.

 

Iraqis will be barred from travelling between governorates.

 

The interim Iraqi authorities have announced a curfew in the northern city of Kirkuk after 10 polling centres were attacked there in the past few days.

 

Foreign troops

Nearly 650 additional British troops have arrived in Basra to help maintain security for the polls, increasing the number of British troops in the country to in excess of 9000.

 

Washington will deploy an extra 12,000 troops to bolster security for the election, increasing its troop numbers to 150,000.

 

Police

More than 100,000 Iraqi police and soldiers have been deployed across the country to enforce election-day security.

 

Iraqi police will guard polling centres and the national guard will form an outer ring.

 

US forces and the Iraqi army will make up a second ring of security on the edges of major cities.

 

Polling centres

Voters will be searched before entering polling stations.

 

Shops

Shops have been ordered to shut in the city centre of Najaf.

 

Workers 

Foreign workers have been asked to leave from several areas of the country.  

Source: Al Jazeera